How Well Do You Notice How Your Co-Workers Feel?

"Keep your eyes on your own paper!" How many times did we hear this directive while we were in school. For many of us, we were raised to pay attention to ourselves, take responsibility for our own work and not much else. In many modern work environments, however, the more understanding and receptive you are to what is going on around you in terms of coworkers feelings and motivations, the more successful you might actually be. Instead of staying so focused ONLY on what is going on for you, learning how to notice what is going on for others can be beneficial.

Many of us do not exactly wear our emotions on our sleeves in the workplace. Of course, there will always be those who are able to cry, fall apart or lose their tempers without much concern or awareness for how others are affected but, in general, we all learn how to control our emotions and manage our feelings. This does NOT mean that we do not have them, however. Noticing how others are reacting and/or feeling about work changes, the workload, or other work realities can give you the opportunity to be even more socially competent.

Being able to sense unhappiness or dissatisfaction can be extremely handy for a boss or supervisor. If you can notice how people are behaving and be receptive to feelings and emotions, you may not need to wait until employees are able to articulate those feelings or have the courage to come and see you. In fact, you may be able to abate a more drastic response just by being aware of it early.

If you are not a supervisor, being aware of how your coworkers are feeling about things can help you to not only befriend and support them, but to gauge the overall moral of the workplace. It can also help you to be receptive and friendly and boost your popularity in the work environment. People like those individuals who are interested in them and seem to understand what they are going through. By developing your awareness and receptiveness to others, you are improving and strengthening your social skills.